The present invention relates to a novel fastening device for use in holding one body to another and particularly useful in the construction of iron work.
The earliest fasteners, devised to solve the age old problem of connecting one body to another, includes screws, bolts and nuts, anchors, nails, spikes and the like. Since the advent of the inclined plane, the strain and force of a wedge as a fastener has been realized. However, it has been difficult to control the great forces produced by wedging action and the damage resulting from frictional engagement with the members to be fastened. Also, a simple wedge has a tendency to loosen with the lapse of time because of the reduction of the normal force of friction as a result of warping and deformation of the wedged members.
Previous devices have been partially successful but are not considered adaptable to a variety of applications.